Taking Me Home
by Enora Gwendolyn Abernathy
Summary: Yes, it's yet another highly localized distortion in the spacetime continuum. What happens when 21st century meets 24th? What happens when 21st enjoys it? Oh, that darned Temporal Prime Directive. Set in the mid 2nd season.
1. Unfamiliar Ceiling

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Voyager or Star Trek.

**Author's Note:** This is my first Voyager fic, and I'm sure several other authors have toyed with the same ideas that I have. I'll try to make mine original. AND just so you know, I've never actually finished a story before, except for a one shot, so you may not want to get too attached. I really want to finish this one though.

Chapter 1: Unfamiliar Ceiling

Had today been a normal day, she would have felt perfectly calm, even delighted at the soothingly beautiful weather. A cool May breeze passed through her hair and rattled her flirty earrings. She took a deep, cleansing breath and felt the aroma of freshly brewed coffee penetrate every part of her exhausted body. She passed by the coffee shop, hesitating only for a second as she was tempted by the prospect a smooth, Venezuelan brew, and the smooth Venezuelan who worked there.

But today was not a normal day. Three days before graduation, and Kaitlyn had no plans for the future. Twenty-two years old, English literature major with a 4.0 GPA, and Kaitlyn McClain had nothing. She wanted to be published, but she had no viable material. At this point, a job in a bookstore seemed better than nothing.

A quick wind blew her thick head of hair into her eyes. Without a spare though, Kaitlyn shifted her books and notebooks to her left arm, tucked her long bangs behind her ear, and began sifting though her purse for a clip to secure her hair.

Clip procured, Kaitlyn flung her head once more to displace any brunette locks that were still in the way.

A blue light? There!

There, maybe 5 yards before her, a blue light shone in midair. Kaitlyn was transfixed. Perhaps it was a trick. A slight of hand covertly performed by a wandering magician. Should she get closer? Should she back away? A hundred thoughts pressed on her mind as she contemplated her next actions, but a gust had stopped her. She lost her balance and a notebook slipped from her grasp. Papers were blown everywhere. On instinct, Kaitlyn dropped her purse and other papers and ran for the escapees.

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"I'm telling you, it was 1928," Insisted Chakotay, as he leaned closer to the Captain's chair.

"No, it was 1927 for sure," parried Captain Janeway, "Help us out Tom."

The debate had been going on for nearly 10 minutes after the critical question had been asked by 20th century aficionado, Tom Paris: When did Louis Armstrong make his first recording?

"Are you sure you want me to spoil your fun?" Tom asked in his characteristically humorous tone.

"True," Chakotay added, "It could just add to the mystery to never find out."

"Or it could just annoy the hell out of me," Janeway insisted, "What year was it Tom?"

He smiled, suppressing a quite laugh, "Both of you are wrong. It was 1926."

Janeway smiled. Chakotay nodded his head in defeat.

"We'll call it a tie," He suggested.

The captain began to reply, but was cut short.

"Captain," Ensign Harry Kim interrupted, "I'm detecting a highly localized disturbance in the space-time continuum."

"Where?" the Captain asked, clearly disturbed.

"I'm not sure. I'm having trouble finding it, but it's close."

Janeway rose from her chair and joined Ensign Kim at his station.

"I've found it Captain. It's just beginning to form and," Kim hesitated, "it's on the bridge!"

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In her haste to try and salvage her fallen papers, Kaitlyn had forgotten about the blue light and unintentionally ran strait for it. When she was only a few feet away from it, she had not noticed it expanding, and when the scenery suddenly changed she could think of nothing more than retrieving the precious document. With a flick of the wrist and a triumphant smile she clenched the paper in her grasp.

But there was no more wind. The smell of coffee had dissipated and the constant roar of traffic had been replaced by an almost inaudible whir. There was carpet beneath her feet and walls surrounding her. She looked around. Faces. Unfamiliar faces atop unfamiliar bodies in unfamiliar uniforms, all of them looking at her. A tall man to her left stood. Dark blonde hair. She stepped back. Two women. Four men, one of them pointing some sort of weapon at her. Pointy ears. Strange eyebrows. She dropped her paper and moved her wide eyes to the left. Stars in a black sky. Nothing more.

Was it some sort of trick or illusion? She continued to step back and back. She looked at the faces. One woman began stepping toward her from an upper platform.

"Don't be alarmed," She said.

Kaitlyn stumbled, but regained her footing, continuing to pace backwards hesitantly. It was a dream. A psychotic breakdown. The woman continued to step forward, offering calm and composed words, but none of them were processing.

Kaitlyn finally reached the wall, but let out a short shriek upon impact. Her hands shook, her eyes darting. She took a step to the left, but her knees buckled. She lay on the ground. Unfamiliar ceiling. And then black.


	2. A Blurry 300

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Star Trek or Voyager.

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the wait, school's insane. Just so you know how I work, I always like to have a 2 chapter buffer between what I have online and what I have written. So, since I have chapter 2 up, I've actually written 4 chapters. I do this so that I can go back and check for spelling and grammar and so that I don't forget anything that might be important later.

Two things about this chapter: 1. It's not the most interesting one you'll read, but it's necessary, and not entirely dull. 2. The reason Janeway calls Kaitlyn _Miss _is because she did check for a ring. (I thought I would get questions about it, so I went ahead and addressed it.

Thanks a ton for the reviews, and I hope to get a bunch more. Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 2: A Blurry 300

The Captain rushed to Kaitlyn's side, checking her pulse. She was alive. "We've got to get her to sickbay," Chakotay stated.

"Let's use a site-to-site transport. I don't want to take any chances with this one.

Harry?" she indicated.

"I'm on it," he replied.

Captain Janeway eyed the girl warily. Clearly, she was human, but from where, and more importantly, from when.

Chakotay tapped his combadge, "Chakotay to the Doctor."

_Doctor here._

"We're about to transport an unconscious patient to sickbay."

_May I ask whom?_

"If I knew, I would tell you," Chakotay looked at the girl quizzically, "Chakotay out."

"I've got a lock, Captain," Harry said. "Energizing."

Kaitlyn dematerialized before their eyes. Captain Janeway stood next to Chakotay. "Tom, you're our expert. What time period did she come from?"

"From the look or her clothes, I'd say early 21st century." Tom was clearly curious, as was the rest of the bridge crew, and for good reason. A little piece of their history had just appeared on the bridge and fainted before their eyes.

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Janeway and Chakotay strode though the threshold and into sickbay. "How is she, Doctor?"

"Aside from high adrenaline levels, she's in perfect health," he replied.

"Can you wake her?" She asked.

"Captain," Chakotay quickly said. He took her aside and spoke quietly. "She's from the past. Maybe we should consider the possibility of keeping her sedated until we can find a way to send her back to her own time."

"I've already considered that, but who knows how long it will be until we can send her back. She may be from the past, but she at least deserves to know this isn't a dream or hallucination."

Chakotay nodded, yielding to his Captain's decision.

"Wake her."

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A blurry sort of consciousness entered Kaitlyn's mind. She couldn't hear anything, and hadn't even attempted to open her eyes yet. Where was she? She tried to blink, but no response came. After what seemed like several minutes, her she blinked once, twice, and was immediately bothered by the light. Despite the strain, she opened her eyes warily.

Above her stood the woman she had seen earlier. (Where had she seen her?) Dark hair, dark eyes, and a controlled facial expression. Kaitlyn blinked a few times to adjust to the light. She tried to sit up, but her body was weak.

"Careful," came a voice behind her. She twisted to see a balding man who in turn helped her sit up. She looked around. Four people were in the room: the woman from before, a man with a tattoo above his eye, the balding man, and a woman with strange ears. All but one of them wore a uniform, and all wore a small pendant on their chest. Where was she?

"Hello," said the closest woman, "I'm Captain Kathryn Janeway…" here she hesitated for a moment and glanced back at the man with the tattoo. When she faced Kaitlyn again, she continued, "from the starship Voyager."

"Starship?" Kaitlyn whispered.

The woman, Captain Kathryn Janeway, continued, "This is my first officer, Commander Chakotay."

Kaitlyn looked around, before realizing it was her turn for an introduction. "Kaitlyn McClain," she said simply.

"It's nice to meet you, Miss McClain," replied Janeway.

Kaitlyn closed her eyes to steady herself before speaking. "Where am I?"

"That's a tricky question," the Captain answered delicately. "We were hoping we could ask you a question first." Kaitlyn nodded her head slightly, indicating her approval. Janeway took a deep breath before asking, "Do you know what year it is?"

Kaitlyn looked quizzically around the room. What year? What was wrong with these people? What was wrong with her? She steadied herself with her hands. "Last I checked," she waited a moment, "2012."

Janeway looked back at Chakotay who, for the first time, showed surprise. She turned around to try and speak to her first officer, but Kaitlyn wouldn't have it.

"What's wrong," Kaitlyn said. Janeway turned back around. "Where am I? What's…" she swallowed deeply, "what's going on?"

Janeway was uncertain how to continue. This girl wasn't just from the 2040s or 50s, she was from 2012! That was over 50 years before the first warp flight. Janeway knew she couldn't lie to this girl or simply sedate her. She deserved to know what had happened to her. She took a deep breath. "Miss McClain, somehow, you have traveled into the future."

If she were dreaming she would have awoken. If she had any sense left the hallucination would have stopped. But Kaitlyn could not deny the fact that everything in front of her, however foreign, was real. She wasn't going to argue. She simply asked, "how far?"

"Over 300 years."

Nausea swept over her. She closed her eyes.

For the first time Chakotay spoke, "the year is 2372."

Her eyes popped open. That was more like 350 years! "How?" she asked, amazed.

"We're investigating that right now," Chakotay said, "and a way to get you back to your own time."

"In the meantime," said Janeway, "try and make yourself comfortable. We can provide you with whatever you need."

"Thank you."

"Doctor," Janeway indicated. The balding man walked toward her and the three of them, Janeway, Chakotay, and the Doctor, walked away, leaving Kaitlyn in a daze.

"Doctor, when will she be free to go?" Janeway asked.

"I have a few more scans to run, just to make sure she's okay, but after that there would be no use in keeping her here."

"Good. I'll assign her some quarters and send someone in an hour to take her there." Janeway began to leave.

"Captain," the Doctor called. Janeway turned back around. "Inevitably she is going to have questions. What should I tell her?"

It was a question the Captain simply did not want to contemplate, but she had to answer. "You can't lie to her, but be as vague as possible, or simply deny her answers. We can't risk changing the timeline any more than we may have already. In the meantime, Chakotay, we need a background check on her. With any luck, we haven't removed anyone too crucial from the timeline."

"Yes, ma'am." With that, Janeway and Chakotay left.


	3. I'll Count the Stars Tonight

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Star Trek or Voyager

**Author's Note: **So far, this chapter's title is my favorite (though chapter 5 is growing on me). Anywho, thanks a ton for all the reviews. _Doec: thanks for the suggestion and feedback. I definitely don't want my story to be like every other fic on the block. JacobedRose: thanks for the two consecutive reviews. It makes me feel good to know that someone's really following the story. Trekboy: thanks for your encouragement. _I must warn this may be my last chapter for about a week. My load's gonna be heavy for a while, but I'll write as often as I can. Now, for the third chapter. I hope you enjoy and I can't wait to get some feedback. Ta.

Chapter 3: I'll Count the Stars Tonight

Kaitlyn watched as the Doctor passed the sensor of the tricorder over her for, by her count, the fourth time in an hour.

"What is that anyway?" She asked innocently, unaware of the temporal prime directive.

The Doctor thought for a moment before answering, "It allows me to assess your medical condition." He thought she would relent after that, but she didn't.

"How?" she asked. The Doctor was at a loss. He didn't want to deny her knowledge, but he had no choice. Still, it was horrible to have to say so.

"I can't answer that. I'm sorry," was his terse answer before walking to a console. Kaitlyn was disappointed. She began observing Kes, the woman that had been assisting the Doctor for some time now. She was small, had short blonde hair, and, oddly enough, pointed ears. Was she from somewhere besides earth?

"I'm sorry, Kes," Kaitlyn began, "This may not be a polite question, but are you from earth?"

Kes sighed. She felt sorry for Kaitlyn. Here she was in a strange world, and she couldn't have most of her questions answered. "I'm sorry, I can't say." Kaitlyn looked away. "I know this must be awful for you." Kaitlyn shrugged. "Maybe you'll learn more than you think. After all, just being here is extraordinary!"

"Thanks," Kaitlyn replied sincerely, and with a slight smile.

Before the conversation could continue further, the sickbay door opened and Harry Kim entered. He smiled and walked toward Kaitlyn.

"You must be Miss McClain," he said almost nervously.

"Must be," She said, rising to her feet, "You can call me Kaitlyn."

"I'm Harry Kim. I can show you to your quarters as long as the Doctor says it's okay."

"She's free to go."

The two left. After a few moments of awkward silence, Harry decided to speak, hoping not to sound stupid. "So, how do you like the future?" Immediately after he said it he knew it _was_ stupid.

"So far, so good. I just wish I knew more about it." She had actually answered.

"I wish I could tell you. But you know, regulations."

"No," Kaitlyn said, "I don't know. That's what makes it annoying."

"Right, sorry."

They reached the turbo lift and entered. "Deck 7," said Harry.

When Kaitlyn felt the lift move she breathed a sigh of relief. "At least you still have elevators," she said.

"We have what?" Harry looked at her with curious eyes.

"Never mind."

Kaitlyn covertly observed as Harry shifted on his feet and fidgeted with his fingers. He couldn't keep still. "Are you okay," She asked.

"Oh, fine," he said promptly, "Why do you ask?"

"You're just a little fidgety." She clasped her hands in front of her. Now she wanted to fidget. It had been an awkward question.

"To be honest, the entire crew is excited about having you here," Harry explained.

"Me?" Kaitlyn looked at him, astonished. "What's so special about me?" She thought for a moment. "Am I going to be famous?" She looked back up at Harry.

"No, it's not like that," Harry explained. The turbo lift doors opened and the two started walking down the corridor. "You're just part of our history, part of who we are. It's not everyday we get to observe our history firsthand."

"I guess I can appreciate that. It would be like meeting Lincoln or Eleanor Roosevelt, except I'm not famous."

"I guess so," Harry chuckled. "Here we are, you're quarters." Harry stepped forward to cause the doors to open, and then signaled Kaitlyn to enter first. She entered with wide eyes.

"Wow," she said, "this is really nice! Everyone gets one of these."

"We sure do." Kaitlyn passed her hand across a table to her right. It was smooth and sturdy. The walls and ceiling were gray, but it was clean and neat. She looked forward to see the blanket of stars outside her window.

"Wow!" She walked closer and her eyes widened. "You get to see this all the time. Do you just live your life amazed?"

"Actually, I guess we take it for granted," Harry said as he moved to stand beside her. "We see this everyday. We wake up to it, and we go to sleep knowing it's just outside."

"Amazing. If I lived here, I would make sure to look at this sky every night. I would count the stars as I went to bed. I would fall asleep before I reached a hundred and then wake up, just to start all over again the next night with new stars in a new sky."

Harry was taken aback at how poetic she made space sound. "Maybe you'll get to do that tonight." He allowed her to look at the star-scape for a moment more before saying, "can I show you the rest of your room?" She nodded. "I can't tell you how everything works, but I can tell you how to use some of it," Harry said.

"Fair deal."

"If you need anything, just ask the computer." Kaitlyn looked confused. "For instance: Computer, increase the light by 5 percent." With that simple command, the computer beeped its acknowledgement and raised the lighting.

"Well, that's convenient," Kaitlyn observed.

"I guess so," Harry shrugged, "And everything else works in basically the same way. If you want music or environmental control, you can just ask the computer."

"Nice."

"Anything specific you want?"

"Well, to be honest, maybe a change of clothes. I've noticed a few people staring at my jeans."

"Come over here," Harry said. He walked towards the replicator and tapped a few controls. "You can access the ships clothing database from here, just tell it what you want and ask it for the item. It will appear here." Harry motioned toward the interior of the replicator, intentionally failing to mention _how_ the computer creates the clothing.

"Sounds good."

"I'll come and get you at 1300 hours for lunch?" Harry asked.

Kaitlyn had to take a moment to comprehend the military time, but responded, "Absolutely." With that, Harry left.


	4. Shall We?

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Star Trek or Voyager.

**Author's Note: **Surprisingly, I actually had time to write this week. Imagine that. This chapter's pretty fun, at least the progression is, though I must admit, I think I'm getting better at this as I go along. Either that, or the story's getting more interesting. Thanks again for the R&R. _voyfan7: Thanks for your review! You're gonna have to wait a bit for the lunch scene though. Doec: The temporal prime directive is quite annoying, but at least it keeps her calm, lol. And I agree, it would be awkward and maybe even cheesy for me to have made Kaitlyn knowledgeable about the Trek universe. JacobedRose: Harry actually isn't my favorite character (though he's most definitely up there), but that is probably only because he was never given the chance to fully develop. That's why I like using him actually, cause I can do all the developing on my own. _I hope you all enjoy this chapter; I had loads of fun writing it.

Chapter 4: Shall We?

"What have you found, Tuvok?" Janeway asked. The briefing had been scheduled for 1200 hours, and had barely given the senior staff enough time to complete their respective tasks, but the logical Vulcan was always prepared.

"I searched the ships historical records, and found no mention of the name _Kaitlyn McClain_."

"Good, at least that means she probably isn't completely critical to the timeline. What about you Harry? Anything on how the rift opened?"

"Actually, I've got a pretty good explanation." Harry leaned forward on the table. "Chronaton particles."

"Chronaton?" Janeway was surprised.

"Yes ma'am. I ran a few scans and found that we had entered a region of space that was full of chronaton particles. Space-time fissures are probably fairly common there. Also, for some reason, the chronatons are localized to an area of 2 light-years. We've already cleared it."

"At least we're out of the woods," Said Janeway. "Well, now that we know what caused it, how do we get Kaitlyn back to her own time?" Janeway already had a few ideas floating around in her head, but she wanted to see the extent of her crew's creative abilities when it came to space-time anomalies. For a moment there was awkward silence.

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"Computer?" Kaitlyn asked, hesitantly. It beeped in response. Kaitlyn laughed nervously. She hoped she wouldn't end up doing anything terrible, like blow up the ship. "Okay. What kind of clothes do you have?"

_Voyager's database includes styles from Earth, Kronos, Betazed, Bajor…_

As the computer continued to rattle of names, Kaitlyn became overwhelmed. She could only assume that these were names of planets, but then again… All these names!

"Okay, you can stop now!" Kaitlyn almost yelled. She quietly laughed. This was going to be harder than she thought.

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"Maybe we could make a fissure on Voyager?" B'elanna suggested.

"_On _Voyager?" Chakotay questioned.

"Well, we can't just beam her out into space."

"True," Harry commented.

"Okay, so we make one," Janeway began, "but how do we make it and how do we control it? We can't just send her back to any old time. It has to be the precise time she left, down to the millisecond if we can."

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"This year, I guess," Kaitlyn said. The computer was awfully precise, even after she had specified earth and the 24th century.

_Specify country of origin._

"Umm, United States?"

_Specify style. _Finally she was getting to the interesting part.

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"So, the Chronatons are beamed into a contained area of the ship, and we can open the fissure easily enough," Janeway asked.

"Exactly," Torres said excitedly, "And, we have the sensor records; we simply copy them. Create the exact same fissure a second time."

"Sounds like a plan."

"One last thing, Captain. I suggest we create the fissure on the holodeck."

Janeway gave her a puzzled look. "Explain."

"Kaitlyn can help us create the environment she left so that the return isn't such a shock on her system," Torres clarified.

"I'll have to make sure Miss McClain is ready, but it's a good idea. We can implement that plan if we have extra time." Janeway stood, "Tom, set a course to take us back to the chronatons. Let's try to get her home by tomorrow. Dismissed."

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Harry double-checked the time. 1255 hours. He got into the turbolift. "Deck 7." A few minutes later he was walking down the Deck 7 corridor and a few seconds later he was at the door to Kaitlyn's quarters. He pressed the console to request entrance.

"Come in," came an enthusiastic answer. Harry smiled and entered.

At first, Kaitlyn was standing with her back to him, apparently smoothing the front of her clothing, but it wasn't until she turned around that Harry noticed the difference.

"Do you like it?" Kaitlyn asked. She had changed out of her worn jeans and pink halter in favor of something a little more modern. She wore a long, lavender top with an asymmetrical hem along with a pair of black leggings. She tried to stay practical in the area of shoes and chose a black flat. Instead of stopping there, she had added a little of her 21st century flair to the outfit by introducing a black bead bracelet along with silver hoop earrings. Topping off the outfit was a thick white belt. It was a unique blend of the centuries.

At first, it took Harry by surprise, but as he observed the clothing and jewelry he smiled. He knew he had to respond, but wasn't sure how. Finally he said, "Yeah, it's wonderful." Kaitlyn chuckled and did a mock curtsey. Maybe the year 2372 did have its perks.

"Are you hungry?" Harry asked.

"Actually, I'm starving," Kaitlyn said with a smile.

"Well, then," Harry indicated toward the corridor, "Shall we?"

Kaitlyn chuckled and followed his lead.


	5. Bubbly Beverage or Murky Stew?

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Trek or Voyager.

**Author's Note: **Holy moly, I loved all the comments I got, so I'm gonna go strait to them._Doec: thanks for the sock suggestion, I may just try that. And yes, the replicator scene was probably way to much fun to write. Voyfan7: You scared me for a second when I saw that you had questions about technology and science, but thankfully I have answers. They're using the holodeck because even though she's already on voyager, it would be a pretty large shock to her senses to go from clean and simple starship to a fairly busy city. It'd be bad for her to pass out again, so they're trying to take every precaution they can. And it is true, I didn't explain the fissure very well (this chapter remedies it some), but basically they're going to have a pair of force fields for containment so that she can get in and the crew won't have to have any contact with it. JacobedRose: I actually waited for your comment because I knew it would come and I would feel bad getting a chapter ahead of you, but yes, it is the ultimate in shopping. I'm quite jealous. _So, just in case the lunch scene is at all disappointing (I hope not) do not fret. I've got more on the way. There's even another meal coming up, but I don't want to spoil all that for you. By the way, I fixed a formatting error in my chapters, so you can understand the scene breaks better. And now to get on with it, chapter 5…

Chapter 5: Bubbly Beverage or Murky Stew?

"Ah, Mr. Vulcan," Said Neelix enthusiastically, "You must try this new drink I found in the replicators."

Tuvok looked away from his PADD just long enough to eye the beverage. It was dark and bubbly. "What is it?" Tuvok asked.

"Well, I'm not entirely sure, but Tom suggested it."

Tuvok raised an eyebrow.

"It's called soda."

"Perhaps you should suggest your _soda_ to someone else. I am busy." Tuvok refocused on the information on his PADD.

"Oh, come now, Mr. Vulcan," Neelix prodded, "where's your sense of adventure?"

"In this instance, my, as you say, 'sense of adventure' is undoubtedly lacking."

Neelix sighed. Perhaps he should suggest it to some one else.

Just then, Harry and Kaitlyn walked in and took a seat. "So what do you call this place?" Kaitlyn asked, smiling, "Where I'm from we call it a cafeteria."

"We call it the mess hall."

"I hope that's no indication of the food."

Harry laughed. "Unfortunately, it just may be."

As if on cue, Neelix walked up to their table with two trays in his hands.

"Good afternoon, Harry!" Neelix said. Harry nodded. "And you must be Miss McClain. I'm Neelix. Nice to meet you."

Kaitlyn stared for a moment. Neelix probably had the most unfamiliar features she had seen thus far. All in all, the furry face and speckled skin didn't quite look human. She caught herself quickly enough and responded, "Um, nice to meet you, too. You can call me Kaitlyn."

"Okay, Kaitlyn. Are you two hungry?"

"Starving," Harry replied, "What's for lunch?"

"One of my personal favorites: leola root stew!" At that, Neelix placed Kaitlyn's tray in front of her. She glanced into her bowl, and nothing looked, or smelled, familiar.

"Ah, Neelix, did you have to go with the leola roots today?" Harry lamented.

"Leola roots are delicious," enthused Neelix as he handed Harry his tray, "Plus, they go great with the stuffed cardaway leaves." It was only then that Kaitlyn noticed what looked like a green egg roll beside the bowl. She smelled the stew again. It definitely wasn't familiar. She picked up her spoon.

"Tell me what you think," Neelix said. Kaitlyn filled her spoon with the substance and for the first time noticed that the broth was almost murky. She smiled.

"Here's to new experiences," She said, trying to remain positive. With that she placed the spoon in her mouth and tasted her first bit of the 24th century. She swallowed. "Surprisingly," she hesitated, "That's actually really good."

"What?" Harry questioned.

Neelix smiled. He said, "I'm glad you like it," and walked away.

"You really like it?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," She said, taking another spoonful.

"Suit yourself," Harry said, taking his first painful bite of cardaway leaf.

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"We've reached the chronaton field, captain," Tom Paris announced.

Janeway rose. "All stop. On screen." The star field appeared before the bridge crew. There was nothing unique about the look of the stars, no distortions or odd colorations, but Janeway knew that this field was Kaitlyn's only way home. She tapped her combadge, "Is the holodeck ready, Lieutenant Torres?"

_Not quite, captain. We're having a little trouble establishing the frequency on the containment fields, but we should be good to go within the hour._

Janeway sighed. It was now 1710 hours. The project had been going much quicker than they had anticipated, until this little kink. "Understood. Janeway out." She sat back into her chair and shared an impatient look with Chakotay. "Temporal distortions. I don't know about you, but I could do without them any day."

"Agreed," said Chakotay.

"Captain," Harry said, "I'm detecting an unknown ship on long range sensors." Janeway looked at her first officer. "They're hailing."

Janeway stood. "Open a channel."

"Channel open."

She gave the rehearsed greeting: "This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the Federation starship Voyager."

_This is the starship Saxor speaking for the Marcalian Order. You are in Marcalian territory. Leave now or we'll open fire._

Janeway exchanged a look with Chakotay and replied, "I'm afraid we can't do that. A temporal distortion opened on our ship and…"

_Leave the chronaton field now. This is your final warning._

"They've closed the channel, Captain," Harry said.

"Red alert. Try hailing them again."

Harry pressed a few controls. "They're not responding."

Voyager shook from phaser fire. "There's your response," Chakotay commented sarcastically.

"Should I return fire?" Tuvok asked.

"No," Janeway began, "I'm not going to risk an armed conflict over a misunderstanding." She tensely sat down. "Let's back off for now. We'll come back tomorrow. Give them a chance to cool off."


	6. A Man by Any Other Name

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Star Trek or Voyager

**Author's Note:** Sorry this one took so long, but it's finally up. _Voyfan7: Yeah, I thought of having her freak out at Neelix, but for whatever reason, I decided against it. Who knows? Lol. Doec: Yes, I do have a tendency for short chapters, though I'm trying to change that. You would have hated my NCIS fic, hah. Morgomir: Thanks for your encouragement! JacobedRose: I've actually seen very little of DS9, but I think I remember that scene. As for those aliens, oh, they're funny little creatures, but aren't most? Missamy831: Thanks so much for your comments! _Well, I took a slightly different turn for this chapter, but I thought this would be a curious position for Kaitlyn. I think you'll like it. I hope to get the next chapter up within the week, but don't hold your breath. Finals are only 2 weeks away. Heh, good times.

Chapter 6: A Man by Any Other Name

It was 1730 hours. After the ship shook earlier Kaitlyn had wanted desperately to ask the computer what had happened. She resisted the temptation quickly, but that had been 20 minutes ago. Since them she had wanted to ask an abundance of questions from how fast this ship could go to details on alien cultures. She had played music to try and get her mind off of her unfamiliar surroundings, but it had only helped for a moment. Now, she was pacing the room in bare feet.

_Maybe I could go somewhere_, she thought, _somewhere safe from questions. _She smiled as an idea hit her.

"Computer?" it beeped a response. "Can you tell me how to get to sickbay?" Kaitlyn took as many mental notes as she could as the computer gave her directions and locations. When the computer was done, Kaitlyn wondered if she could keep track of her lefts and rights. "Computer, if I get lost, can I ask for directions again?"

_Affirmative._

"Thanks," She said. She placed her shoes back on and left.

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The doors to the Captain's ready room opened as Neelix entered. "You wanted to see me, Captain?"

"Yes, Neelix, please sit down," Janeway replied.

"What can I do for you?" Neelix asked pleasantly.

"Have you ever heard of the Marcalian Order?" Janeway leaned forward on her desk and folded her hands to ready herself for the Talaxian's response.

"Ah yes," Neelix began, "The Marcalians are known throughout the sector for their chronaton field and their paranoia. They're wary of anyone coming within a light-year of their precious chronaton particles."

"Any idea what they use the particles for?"

"None. That's another thing they're known for. They protect those chronatons with their life, but no one actually knows what they use them for, or if they even use them at all."

"Could there be a special property to these chronatons?"

"Not that I would know."

"Any chance they would let us use some of them?" Janeway asked, though she half expected the answer that came.

"I highly doubt it."

An extremely slight hint of disappointment crossed Janeway's face, but Neelix noticed it nonetheless. "If I may say so, Captain, if anyone can ease their paranoia, it must be you. I have a feeling that your diplomatic skill will soon be known throughout the sector."

"Thank you, Neelix." Neelix's ability to flatter while simultaneously encourage hadn't ceased to amaze Janeway.

"No problem."

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Kaitlyn looked around when she first entered sickbay. "Doctor?" she called out.

Kes started at the unexpected voice. She quickly recognized it as Kaitlyn's. Kes stood on the opposite side of the sickbay from Kaitlyn whose view of the Ocampan was currently obstructed by walls. Kes looked around, she was only getting soil samples so she hadn't activated the Doctor when she came in. Kaitlyn was still searching for the inconveniently deactivated EMH.

Kes quickly retreated to a corner and spoke as quietly as she could. "Computer, activate the EMH."

"Please, state the nature of the medical emergency," the newly activated Doctor asked loudly. Kaitlyn had jumped at the sudden voice and had turned around quickly to see the doctor standing in front of her.

"Doctor," Kaitlyn said, catching her breath, "I didn't see you there."

"Oh well…" The Doctor searched for an answer, "I was uh, behind the bio-bed."

Kes was relieved to see that Kaitlyn had not noticed the Doctor's sudden appearance. She entered the main part of the sickbay. "Kaitlyn, I didn't hear you come in."

"Oh, that's okay," Kaitlyn responded.

"Well, I've got to get to the cargo bay with these soil samples. I'll be back later, Doctor." With that, Kes left the sickbay.

The Doctor nodded and then redirected his attention toward Kaitlyn. "Can I help you?" he asked.

"Well, not exactly," She responded, smiling.

"No medical emergency? No dizziness, fever, nausea?" questioned the Doctor.

"No, none of that."

The Doctor sighed and walked to one of his workstations.

"Sorry," Kaitlyn said, "I just needed somewhere to go, someone to talk to. I guess I was getting a little stir crazy."

"Very well," the Doctor answered, "talk away."

"Okay," Kaitlyn began. She started strolling through the room. "Are you married?" she asked.

"No," the Doctor answered, and for a moment he forgot whom he was talking to. "Why would I be married?"

Kaitlyn was confused, "Do people not marry in the 24th century?"

The Doctor corrected himself, "Oh, of course they do, _we_ do. I'm just not currently romantically involved with anyone."

"Okay," Kaitlyn said, "me neither. I've been so focused on my schoolwork; I haven't really had the time."

"I see," answered the Doctor as he continued at his work.

Kaitlyn continued wandering around the sickbay, observing bio-beds and other medical equipment. "I just realized, I don't even know your name, do I, Doctor?" she asked.

"I suppose not," replied the Doctor. He was distracted now that she had unintentionally reminded him of what he lacked.

Kaitlyn hesitated, "so, what's your name?"

"I…" The Doctor hesitated, "I prefer to be called Doctor."

"Oh, okay." She continued to roam. Small talk had never been her forte. "What are your hobbies?" she asked.

"I don't know." He answered. From where she was standing Kaitlyn looked at the Doctor curiously, though he did not turn to meet her eyes. He tried to give a human answer, "I guess I've been so caught up in my work…" He had never really thought of developing hobbies before, but now… He turned to face Kaitlyn. "What do you suggest?" he asked.

"Well, I've always loved reading. Reading's what led me to become an English major. I could suggest some books if you want."

"I would appreciate that," The Doctor answered. Kaitlyn smiled.

Just then, the doors to sickbay slid open. "There you are," said a smiling Harry Kim, "I had a little trouble finding you."

"Sorry," Kaitlyn said, "I was getting fidgety sitting in my quarters."

"That's fine. Ready for dinner?"

"Is it that time already?" Kaitlyn asked. Harry nodded. "Okay." As she left, Kaitlyn said, "It was nice talking to you, Doctor."

After she left, the Doctor smiled. There had been no way for Kaitlyn to know the difference between human and hologram, no reason for her to treat him differently. The Doctor nodded slightly and said, "You, too."


	7. Less Than 100

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Trek or Voyager.

**Author's Note: **So, we're up to seven chapters. I'm surprised this thing has kept coming. It's a good sign I'm sure. Okay, just so everyone here is clear, I'm not extremely good at the technological aspect of anything, so if I make a mistake, don't freak out, unless it's huge. _Morgomir: I'm glad you liked that interaction. I thought it would be a good addition, all things considered. JacobedRose: I've always liked Neelix and Janeway's friendship, too. Voyfan7: She went to see the Doctor just because she had met him before. And yes, you get to read about the dinner now, a pretty good one if I may say so myself. Britjanee: Thanks so much for reading. _Okays, here we go. I hope this is a good one.

Chapter 7: Less Than 100

Kaitlyn had been caught mid bite when Tom Paris had asked her about a subject she actually new almost nothing about: Elvis. So the stereotype had been revealed, obviously everyone born in the 20th century loved Elvis Presley. She had stared at him for a moment before removing the fork from her mouth and chewing her food. She chewed slowly, so as to digest the question she had just been asked. When she swallowed, she still stared for a moment as she placed her fork on her tray.

Tom looked at Harry beside him and then back at Kaitlyn. "Do you not have a favorite song?" he asked.

"I can't say that I do," Kaitlyn replied. She took a sip of her drink, something fruity.

"What about a favorite record?"

Kaitlyn laughed a little. Tom looked confused now. "Actually, I barely know anything about the man."

"Really?" Tom asked.

"Yeah, he was really a 1950s and 60s sensation. I wasn't even a teenager until 2003. I can't say that I like any of his music, aside from cultural interests, I guess."

"What about the Beatles?"

Kaitlyn shrugged, "60s and 70s, but you're getting closer."

"Okay, okay," Tom said, "You win. What music do you like?"

"Well, of the ones you might have heard of, Natasha Bedingfield is okay." She paused and saw no reaction from Tom. "Uh… Josh Groban, Cascada?" Still no recognition. She sighed. "Do you know any 80s bands?"

"A few," Paris said.

"My mom got me into Bon Jovi. Have you heard of them?"

"I think I've heard the name in the database."

Kaitlyn laughed and Harry eyed Tom. "Feeling a little lost in your own area of expertise, Tom?" he joked.

Kaitlyn shook her head, "Don't worry, even I'm a little lost. Let's just say that my taste in music are unusual."

"Well," Tom began, "I have a diagnostic to finish before 1930 hours." He took a last bite of dinner, "see ya, Harry. Nice to meet you, Kaitlyn." The remaining two said their goodbyes.

Kaitlyn looked at Harry. "Tom Paris, funny man," she said.

"You could put it that way," Harry replied.

The two were seated next to the window. To Kaitlyn's right shone those delicate diamonds in the ebony sky. She stared out the window and smiled. "I was about to graduate college."

Harry looked up at Kaitlyn. "What major?" he asked.

She looked back at him. "English. I wanted to be a writer."

"You say that as if you're not going to get to now. We're gonna get you back," Harry encouraged.

"Sorry," she said, "It's still a little hard to understand." She paused and looked back out the window. "I had never seriously considered writing science fiction, but even if I had, I don't think I ever would have imagined anything like this. It's beautiful, wonderful."

"It is, but I bet you miss your home," Harry said, silently considering his own situation as well.

"Well, yeah," She hesitated, "I guess." Now she was second-guessing herself.

"Something wrong?" Harry asked.

"Oh," She said, trying to lighten her mood, "It's nothing."

Harry could tell that the subject was uncomfortable for her. "What were you planning on writing?" he asked.

"I'm not sure. That was my problem. I was about to graduate college, but I had no ideas. No inspiration." She looked at Harry, "I kinda wish I could write about all of this now, but I know I can't risk changing the future."

"Unfortunately," Harry said. He smiled as he watched her stare out the window. Her eyes were brown. They sparkled as she watched the stars. Moreover they reflected her joyful smile, but somehow there was sadness, too. It wasn't entirely present, and Harry barely noticed it, but there was a hint of sadness.

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"Lieutenant Torres," Janeway said as she entered engineering.

"Yes, Captain," Torres responded. She walked up to Janeway, PADD in hand.

"It's short notice," she said, "but I need you to create a very small version of the containment field on the holodeck."

"May I ask why?"

"If the Marcalians get aggressive and won't let us take a substantial amount of chroniton particles, I want to be able to study a negligible amount."

"Sure," B'elanna responded, "When do you need it?"

"Tomorrow morning."

"Consider it done."

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"Sleep well," Harry had said before leaving her doorway, but somehow sleep wasn't coming easily. Kaitlyn had replicated some pajamas and dimmed the lights, but she couldn't bring herself to crawl into bed. Sure, it had been a nerve-racking day, one moment worrying about her own future, the next realizing that she was part of a starship's past, but that was not what troubled her.

What did trouble her was one of Harry's statements: _I bet you miss your home. _When he had said that, she realized that during the course of the whole day she hadn't missed her home at all, she simply hadn't worried about it. She thought at first that it was because the day had been traumatic, but the more she thought about it, the more she realized that she simply didn't miss where she was from. It bothered her. She had to go back. Deep inside she must want to go back. It was where she belonged.

Her thoughts wouldn't leave her alone. She contemplated going to the mess hall for a late night snack, but decided against it. So she sat next to the window and again looked outside. She smiled faintly and said, "I'll count the stars."

Just as she had predicted, 73 stars later she was asleep. She had decided tonight to assign a word to each star. There was Hope and Charity. There was Faith and Love and Perseverance. There was Catastrophe and Desperation, and there was Forever and Mortality.

But when she had found the brightest one, the star whose glitter made her catch her breath, she had smiled widely, not ignoring sadness nor joy, and named that star Tomorrow.


	8. Breakfast at Kaitlyn's

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Trek or Voyager

**Author's Note: **I'm sorry it's taken so long. I'm not going to make excuses, because I'm pretty sure no one cares that much. The important thing is, I have chapter 8! _BloodLikeIce: Thank you very much! I really appreciate your description of my story as "human."__Doec: Thanks for your suggestion. I'm not entirely sure what you're looking for, but I've tried to really get the plot going (though you may not see as much tension in this chapter. I think I had written this chapter before you suggested anything.) The Admiral: Favs list! Thanks so much! Morgomir: Thanks once again. JacobedRose: Thanks for your comment on the last part of the chapter. I wasn't sure if it was too poetic, but I decided to keep it anyways. Poetry comes very naturally to me. Lunatic Pandora1: Yeah, I was having trouble finding the spelling. On a message board it was _chronaton_, And on the star trek web site I believe I saw it as _chroniton_. I really didn't know, so I just choose one. Thanks for reading though! Voyfan7: Muchas Gracias! I'm not sure what else to say besides thanks for the compliments. _And so we are here. Chapter 8. I always feel like you guys are so behind in this story since I write two chapters ahead, but alas. So long as you're enjoying it! Ta ta for now.

Chapter 8: Breakfast at Kaitlyn's

Kaitlyn had woken up way too early, 0500 hours to be precise. She tried to go back to sleep, but was unsuccessful. So she had gotten up, awkwardly discovered the sonic showers, replicated a new outfit, and headed to the mess hall.

When she entered she had at first assumed that she was alone, but soon enough Neelix poked his head in from the kitchen. "Good morning, Kaitlyn," he chimed.

"Morning, Neelix," She promptly replied.

"Up so early?"

"I was just about to ask the same about you."

"I get up early to make breakfast for the crew."

"Ah," she said, looking into the kitchen. "What are you making?"

"Come in and see," he replied. She entered the kitchen and watched Neelix mixing a batter together and noticed several pieces of fruit on a chopping board.

"It looks like you're making crepes," she said.

"Crepes?" Neelix questioned.

"They're basically very thin pancakes, and a lot of times they're served with fruit. I especially love apple crepes, though I'll never forget my mom's famous berry crepes."

Neelix became curious. "Do you cook?" he asked.

"As often as I can. I've been living off of college food for a while, but whenever I'm able to I concoct something or other."

"Would you like to give me a hand?" Neelix asked, "I'm interested in these crepes."

Kaitlyn smiled. "Would you mind?"

"Not at all."

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"What's this?" Harry Kim asked when his breakfast plate was placed in front of him.

"Is this what I think it is?" Tom questioned.

"Only if you think it's crepes," Kaitlyn answered.

"Did you make this?" Harry asked.

"Sure did. I woke up early, and Neelix offered to let me cook."

Harry took a bite. "It's good," he said enthusiastically, and continued to eat.

Tom followed suit. "It sure is," he said, "I don't recognize the fruit though."

"Neelix said it was called a fara fruit. There weren't any apples or pears, but that was basically comparable."

Kaitlyn noticed that Harry had already eaten most of his serving. "Do you want more?" She asked.

"Why not?" he replied. Kaitlyn left quickly and came back with a fresh batch.

"You need to stick around a while. We'd be able to eat real food," Harry joked before he took a bite of his crepe.

Kaitlyn smiled.

"It's true," Tom said, "Most of us aren't as enthusiastic about Neelix's angla'bosqye as you would be."

Kaitlyn chuckled. "What can I say? It's certainly better than cafeteria food."

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"Anything out there, Ensign Kim?" Janeway asked.

"Nothing on sensors, Captain."

They had been searching for nearly an hour and a half and it seemed that the Marcalians had let their guard down. Neelix had been standing by to offer any cultural insights, but it became less and less likely that they would need it. "Keep searching." She wasn't about to risk weapons fire if she didn't have to.

"Captain, I have something," Harry said a few minutes later, "It's very vague, but it could be a cloaked ship."

"Do they have cloaking technology?" she asked Neelix.

"I'm not entirely sure," he began, "they're very isolationist, but it has been rumored."

"Open a com channel," Janeway said. When she was told that the channel was open, she began, "This is the starship Voyager to any Marcalian vessel in range. We need to discuss the use of your chronaton particles. Please respond." Janeway waited.

"They're not responding," Tuvok informed the Captain. She sighed.

"Wait, Captain," Harry began, "A ship is decloaking. It's the Saxor."

"Captain," Tuvok said, "They are hailing us."

Janeway shook her head, "On screen."

An alien with dark cranial and nose ridges and otherwise spotted skin appeared before the bridge crew. From the look on his face, Janeway could surmise that he was not having a good day and was in no mood to negotiate. Before she could introduce herself, the alien spoke.

"Why have you returned?" he said.

"I'm sorry," Janeway said, "I'm afraid we haven't been properly introduced." She did not like bullies.

"I am Captain Reylich representing the Marcalian Order. We are not willing to trade or negotiate. Leave the chronaton field or we will be forced to fire on your ship."

"Before you fire, I think it is important that you understand our situation."

"I would beg to differ," Reylich continued, "The chronatons are our property."

"A space-time fissure opened on our ship due to the chronaton field, and a woman passed through it. She's from 350 years in the past, and we need to get her back to her own time. If you would let us use some of the chronatons we would be willing to…"

"There can be no negotiation!" Reylich said, anger rising, "Leave or we will fire." With that, the communication was terminated.

"They are charging weapons," Tuvok informed the Captain.

The ship shook. "Harry, lock on to a small amount of the chronatons and beam them to the containment field in engineering." Janeway said. The ship shook again. "Tom, evasive maneuvers."

"I've got the particles, Captain," Harry said.

"Good. Raise shields and come about." It was time to prove a point. "Tuvok, lock onto their weapons systems and fire."

"Aye, Captain."

Less than a minute later Tuvok announced, "Their weapons are offline."

"They're hailing."

Reylich appeared before them. "You will regret this."

"He's gone to warp, Captain," Harry said.

"Captain," Tuvok began, "I must point out that he has left the field unprotected. It may be wise to take the chronatons while we can."

Janeway considered it before replying. "No. I don't want to risk making another enemy if I can help it. We'll examine what we have taken and try to negotiate our way through the rest."


	9. Questions

**Disclaimer: **I do not own star trek or voyager.

**Author's Note: **Phew, I got another one written!! It's getting exciting. _Asthore: Thank you so much. I'm glad you like it; though I think you may have misunderstood. I haven't had any flames, just some friendly suggestions, which I really love. Trust me, I don't respond to flames ;). Thanks again. Voyfan7: Thanks for the favorites add! And lets just face it, every guy likes girls in the kitchen. Lol, just kidding. Thanks again for the review. Lunatic Pandora1: For what ever strange reason, I've actually never heard that phrase before, but it would be sad if the food could actually get worse. Lol. Thanks. Morgomir: Thanks for you review! _Here we go, chapter 9.

Chapter 9: Questions

"Anything interesting?" Janeway asked Torres.

"Actually, we've found something," B'elanna replied. The Captain nodded for her to continue.

B'elanna walked close to the chronatons they had beamed aboard. "At first, we thought it was pretty basic stuff: a little hydrogen, some carbon, and high concentrations of chronatons. But when we took a closer look, we found something a little unexpected." Torres turned to a console and pressed a few controls. An image appeared on the screen, which Janeway promptly observed.

"I've never seen this before," she said.

"Neither have I," Torres replied. "Captain, we've discovered an entirely new element." The two looked at each other, astonished.

"What could they use it for?" Janeway asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. There's a possibility that they could be used as an energy source, but if I had my guess, the Marcalians are probably more concerned with that then with a few chronatons."

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"Green, grid four nine," Kaitlyn announced.

"Good move," Harry said. Kaitlyn nodded. He thought for a moment before saying, "Red, grid ten twelve."

Kaitlyn shook her head. "This is a complicated game."

"It's definitely hard when you're first starting out, but you get used to it."

Kaitlyn thought for a moment. "Orange, grid six fourteen."

Harry smiled. "Red, grid nine three." The board whirred, "Kadis-kot."

Kaitlyn laughed. "Well, I think that's five games in a row to you."

"Sorry," Harry shrugged.

"Naw, It's okay. It's just a lot harder than checkers."

"Checkers?" Harry asked, disregarding the kadis-kot board.

"I guess you would consider it an 'ancient earth game,' but it was fun." She picked up a game piece to fiddle with it. "My entire elementary class was obsessed with it. I was runner up in the championship, and I swear the other kid was cheating."

Harry laughed, "Sounds like fun."

"It was. And then in high school I moved on to chess," She looked strait at Harry, "ya know, knights, bishops, kings."

Harry nodded, "I've seen chess played before."

"Good," she paused for a moment, "But even in high school a really good friend and I would still play checkers all the time. I know that sounds kind of strange, but we didn't play to play. We didn't even care who won." She smiled, "we played to talk."

"Just a distraction to fill up the quite spaces?" Harry guessed.

"Yeah, although we would sometimes forget about the game and just talk. He got me through some tough times."

"Do you still talk with him?"

"Not really," She replied, "I went to college close to home and he moved across the country. We lost touch."

"I'm sorry," Harry said. He realized how much he took a modern convenience such as transporters for granted. Across the country would be a non-issue in his century.

"It's okay. Life goes on, right." She replaced the game piece.

"It does."

"I learned that one the hard way," She looked him in the eye and realized she had said too much. She knew he was about to ask questions, questions about family and loss. It would be simpler to volunteer answers. Vague answers. "Let's just say I've had my share of trouble, disappointment, sadness." It wasn't something she liked contemplating.

"Haven't we all?" Harry commented.

Kaitlyn looked up at Harry, very serious. "No, we haven't." She had been harsher than expected, so she calmed herself by rearranging the pieces on her board. "I'm sorry. There's just so much trouble and hardship where I come from. Single parents, abandoned children, fathers who have to constantly worry about paying their bills. And then there are the few who seem to have no trouble at all, and it may sound strange, but it's hard to imagine those types of things here."

Harry smiled sadly. Maybe Kaitlyn had a little more in her past than he had imagined. He didn't want to pry. He had the feeling that asking any questions would either bring tears or indignation, and he thought it might be a violation to tell her about Voyager's predicament. He simply said, "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay." She couldn't talk about this any more. She needed a lighter mood. So she took a deep breath, forgot her troubles for a moment, and said, "ready for another match?"

"Sure," Harry replied, "Unless you want to play checkers." He laughed a little.

She laughed too. "I'll teach you checkers another time. Right now, I'd rather beat _you _in kadis-kot."

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It had been an hour since their final game. Even though Harry had won most of their matches, Kaitlyn had managed to squeeze in one sweet victory. Being extremely proud of herself, she opted out of further humiliation. Shortly after this triumph, Harry had been summoned to the Captain's waiting room.

"Please sit, Harry," Janeway said. As he sat, the Captain continued. "How is Kaitlyn?"

"She's adjusting surprisingly well. I figured that the first day she would have been in shock, but she's still doing basically fine."

"Asking very many questions?"

Harry shrugged. "Not too many actually."

"That's almost too good to be true," Janeway said.

"That's kind of what I was thinking, but she's really enjoying it." Harry smiled a little, "Did you try her crepes yesterday morning?"

Janeway's eyes got a little bigger. "She made those?"

"Sure did."

"I was wondering why they were so… normal."

Harry chuckled.

Janeway took a sip of coffee from a nearby mug and, a moment later, asked, "Do you think she's ready to help us on the holodeck?"

"I can't think of a reason why she wouldn't be. She's adapted to the replicator, turbo lift, we just got finished playing kadis-kot. She even told me that she eventually figured out the sonic shower on her own."

"Well," Janeway said, "we still have to negotiate with the Marcalians, but it sounds like she'll be ready."

"Yes, ma'am," Harry said.

"You're dismissed." Janeway sipped her coffee as Harry left. She wondered just _how_ Kaitlyn was adjusting to such a drastic change so quickly, or if she was really adjusting at all. After all, she could still be in shock.

In any case, Janeway knew that she would have to talk to this girl from the past before proceeding. She had to be absolutely sure she wasn't just some sort of wonderful actress.


	10. To Con Death

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Voyager or Star Trek

**Author's Note: **It's been way too long, and once again, I apologize. _Doec: Thanks very much for saying that I write Harry well. It's hard to stay focused on that sometimes, but it's very important to me. Lunatic Pandora1: I think Kaitlyn would quickly give up playing Tuvok's game. Morgomir: Thanks for your comment. JacobedRose: Katis Kat has always looked interesting to me too. Of course, with me it's sometimes, "look pretty colors," but you get the idea. Voyfan7: Normal food, mmm. Kind of like the difference between home cooking and cafeteria food. Arashcuzi: Harry has always had bad luck with women, and it drove me crazy. I feel like that they could have done more with him in the final season. And thanks for the tip on staying away from things that could be technicalities. Unfortunately I've gotten myself in so deep that it's going to be an issue in this story, but the I'm thinking it'll turn out okay. Faithinthecharm: Thanks for the comments. _And……HERE we go.

Chapter 10: To Con Death

Kaitlyn sat, eating another one of Neelix's unique dinner dishes. Over the past few days she had helped him with breakfast and sometimes lunch, but she had left dinner in Neelix's more than capable hands. And once again, she was enjoying this Neelix Special (though it was a bit spicy). She sat near a window, alone this time because of various conflicts in duty shifts, and pondered her experience over the past few days. _How many had it been? _she asked herself. _Four. _This was her fourth day, she remembered. Four days in a century in which she should be long dead. Although she didn't completely understand time paradoxes and so forth, it was odd to think that somewhere on earth she had been buried. Her body had most likely decomposed by now, but somewhere, her remnants could still exist. _How did I die? _she asked herself. She shook her head. _Then again, _she wondered, _my presence here could have altered the timeline so that I never died at all. _She smiled at the thought of cheating death. Might as well slip by that snare of inconvenience.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Kaitlyn heard the mess hall doors open, though the thought barely registered with her as she continued to contemplate her situation.

"Kaitlyn," she heard a voice say. When she looked up she quickly recognized the figure of Captain Janeway.

"Captain," she said, a little surprised. She wondered if she should stand up or if she was even supposed to call this woman by the military title.

"Do you mind if I join you?" Janeway asked.

"No, not at all."

Janeway sat and observed Kaitlyn for a moment, though after that moment she realized how uncomfortable Kaitlyn seemed. She quickly remedied the uneasiness. "How have you been doing?" she asked.

"Oh, just fine," she looked at her plate, unsure of how to continue. "I've been adjusting a lot."

"I can imagine," Janeway said, "All this must have seemed much like a dream at first."

"Absolutely," she sighed, "It still does sometimes. If it was, I don't think I'd ever want to wake up, but it's not. I could never dream up something so wonderful."

Janeway smiled. This girl was very complimentary, especially considering the ship's current situation (although Kaitlyn was still not aware of it). Stranded, almost impossibly far from anything they knew. But within the first year in the Delta quadrant Janeway had learned never to say _impossible_. Deadly space anomalies, violent species, the list was almost impossibly long. But there she was with that word again. Perhaps she should consider impossible in itself to be impossible. Now she had found a flaw in her logic. She decided that this was a conundrum for Tuvok to consider. Right now, she was glad that Kaitlyn had truly realized the reality of her situation.

_Chakotay to the Captain._

Janeway sighed quietly and pressed her combadge. "Yes, Chakotay, what is it?"

_The Marcalians are approaching. We'll be in communications range in about half an hour._

"Very well. I'll be there in a moment. Janeway out." She pressed her combadge again to end the conversation. She began to get up, but looked at Kaitlyn and said, "I hate to leave you alone at dinner."

"Oh, no, it's alright, Captain. Neelix said he would join me when he was finished in the kitchen."

Janeway got up but still did not leave. Her eyes became compassionate. "You must miss your family terribly," she said.

Kaitlyn swallowed deeply and tried to formulate a response, but simply couldn't. The captain had unknowingly hit a sensitive topic. She looked down at her plate as she tried to compose herself.

"I'm sorry," Janeway said, "I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, it's okay," Kaitlyn shook her head. "You didn't know."

Janeway looked at Kaitlyn curiously. "There's more to this than I'm assuming, isn't there."

"Yes, ma'am," Kaitlyn began to choke up as she said the words.

Janeway sat back down across from Kaitlyn. Chakotay had told her that she had thirty minutes and she was ready and willing to use any and all of them.

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"They are hailing us, Captain," announced Tuvok only moments after Janeway had arrived on the bridge.

"Finally in the mood for talking," Janeway said, glad that this encounter did not begin aggressively. "On screen."

Immediately, Janeway realized that this Marcalian was unfamiliar to her. From the nature of her clothes and the trimness of her figure Janeway assumed that this was a female. This assumption was confirmed as she began speaking.

"Captain Janeway I presume?" the Marcalian asked.

"Yes, I am the Captain," she replied.

"I am Admiral Jayris of the Marcalian Order. Please, tell me, for what reason have you disabled our ship?"

Janeway tried to remain diplomatic, but her patience would not last forever. "We only fired out of self-defense. Please, let me explain our situation."

Janeway could tell that Admiral Jayris was considering her options. On the one hand she could fire and probably suffer the same fate as the Saxor had earlier. On the other, she could listen to these voyagers. Finally, she spoke up. "What is it you want?"

"When we began crossing this area of space we were unaware of the presence of a chronaton field. When we passed through it a time-space fissure opened on our ship and a girl from 350 years in the past came through. Now, we understand how protective you are of this field, but if we could use some of those particles to open a controlled fissure, we could send the girl back through and return any of the remaining particles to you." Janeway hoped dearly that this explanation would be enough.

Jayris considered her options for only a moment before responding. "No, it is absolutely out of the question. You must leave now." Janeway could tell that Jayris was about to terminate communication.

"No, wait!" Janeway said. She knew she had to get her attention. "We know about the other particle."

Jayris hesitated. "What are you talking about?"

"When we took a deeper scan of the field we found another element that our people have not yet discovered. We thought that you might be concerned about that element more than the chronatons." It was a shot in the dark for Janeway. For all she knew, this element could be abundant in this area of space, but from the look on Jayris' face, she guessed not.

"My people use it as an energy source. If our enemies knew about it…" Jayris hesitated.

"I understand, and I hope we can convince you that we have no interest in this element, but only in sending the girl back home." Janeway could tell that this was a difficult position to put Jayris in. Isolated for so long to keep this element a secret, and now a strange species was attempting to gain her trust. "Perhaps, we could simply talk," Janeway offered.

"Very well."


	11. This is a Family

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Trek or Voyager.

**Author's Note: **I must say, this chapter was probably one of the most exciting to write. You'll see why… yeah. _Arashcuzi: I can't say how much I appreciate your compliments concerning my portrayal of Janeway. I've probably said it a million times, but it's a goal of mine to keep all the series' characters within character. Lunatic Pandora1: It has actually taken me a while to decide where in the series this would be taking place. In my story summary I say it's between the 1__st__ and 2__nd__ seasons, but now I'm thinking of something more like mid 2__nd__. Whenever I get that pinned down I'll update it. Voyfan7: It is quite amazing what a little bit of leverage will do for peaceful negotiations. Morgomir: Thanks for your comments. Brandie Thomas: I actually did hesitate doing this fic because the idea has been so overdone, but it's extremely encouraging to hear that mine has been original. Thank you. _Alrighty then, we'll move on with the story.

Chapter 11: This is a Family

"Come in," Kaitlyn said when she heard the 24th century version of a doorbell. As the doors slid open she quickly recognized the form of Harry Kim.

"Good news," He said enthusiastically. He wore a characteristic, if not overly polite smile, which, more than anything made Kaitlyn like him more. She couldn't imagine a friendlier person.

"Really," she said, "can I tell you my good news first?"

Harry shrugged, "Sure."

Kaitlyn smiled brightly and stepped aside to reveal a checkers board with all the pieces set up and ready to go. "Checkers," she said, just in case Harry didn't recognize it.

He examined the board. "This is checkers?" he said, "It looks so simple."

"Maybe that's what makes it so much fun," she ventured, "I can teach you now if you have time."

Harry's smile faded a little bit as he remembered why he had come. "Actually," he began as he turned to look at her, "I don't. But the good news is we have what we need to send you back home. We still need some help from you, but the captain says we'll be ready to go by tomorrow morning."

"I see," she said, looking down a little. She didn't want to look disappointed, so she quickly tried to convince herself she was excited. It didn't work.

"Is something wrong?" Harry asked.

"No," she replied, shrugging off her feelings, "What do you need my help with, I'm not even allowed to know anything about your technology."

"That's not a problem where we're going. Let me quickly explain the holodeck." He led her into the corridor as he hastily and vaguely explained what could be the galaxy's best vacation spot.

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"Has Ensign Kim explained to you what we plan on doing?" Captain Janeway asked Kaitlyn shortly after she and Harry entered holodeck one. Kaitlyn took a quick look around noticing the blocks of black floor marked off with yellow lines and the monochromatic walls.

"He has," she replied, still distracted as she tried to figure out how such an environment could be created in this room. "But I have to confess, I'm not entirely sure how to begin."

"Begin as simply as you can," Harry said.

"Well, I was walking along the sidewalk following Green Street, and I had just crossed over Stanley Boulevard heading towards 3rd street. So, I guess, two city blocks." She shrugged.

Harry nodded, "Computer, I need two city blocks circa 2012."

"Oh," Kaitlyn interrupted, "And it was sunny."

Harry smiled, "On a sunny day."

The setting promptly appeared. It was fairly simplistic, but to Kaitlyn's astonishment the drab room had transformed to include sidewalks, streets, and sunlight. The change had left her slightly disoriented. "No way."

"We're not done yet," Harry said, smiling.

"I know but…" she could have babbled on forever, but at the risk of being silly she decided on a single word. "Wow."

Janeway smiled, "It seems you two have this under control. I have some final arrangements with our guests," she nodded to Harry who immediately understood that by _guests_, she meant Marcalians. It had really been a surprise to them all how open the aliens were to diplomacy. Negotiating really hadn't been that much of a problem once it began.

Janeway briskly left and Harry turned to Kaitlyn and said, "Okay, what else."

"Well," she began, "to the left of where I was walking was a series of shops with windows that went on as far as I could see." Harry began entering commands into the console at the back of the room, avoiding voice commands so that Kaitlyn could keep going. "If I remember correctly, there was a shoe store, sandwich shop, and book store directly beside me. There were more buildings across the street. On the street corner was an awesome Italian restaurant called Angelina's." She paused for a moment, trying to remember more of the details. She walked back towards Harry. "Oh," she said, "On the opposite street corner was a great coffee shop called Frosty Muggs. They have an amazing Venezuelan blend." She laughed a little. She and Harry worked for a few more minutes, trying to get the basics of the city down.

"Alright," Harry said, "Let's see how this turns out. Computer, apply the specifications." Without hesitation buildings and benches appeared from nowhere.

Kaitlyn looked at Harry. "Let there be light," she quipped.

Harry smiled. "Not exactly."

She smiled back. "This looks pretty good, though Frosty Muggs could use a little work.

"Sure," he said, "we have plenty of time."

The pair worked for nearly an hour perfecting the little details of the whole scene. They added shop signs, coffee tables, and even several pairs of shoes in the shoe store window.

Kaitlyn surveyed the city when they were nearly done. "This looks _really_ good," she commented. She lazily leaned against the wall and watched as Harry entered a few more commands. "I hope no one notice my little Houdini act."

Harry's brow furrowed as he though over this issue. "It could be a problem, though you can always feign ignorance. Were you walking with anyone?"

Her eyes promptly moved from the wall console to her feet. The conversation she had had with Captain Janeway the previous night was still fresh on her mind. So much so that Harry's question, a question that usually would not bother her in the least, now struck a tender spot. "No," she said, "I wasn't." Her voice trembled a little at the end of the phrase.

Harry looked at Kaitlyn, concerned. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry," she began, "I probably should have told you earlier. I mean, there was no reason to. It would have been considerate to, but…" she realized she was babbling. She took a deep breath and began again, "This ship has so many great people on it. You laugh with each other, joke together, I hope it's not too bold of me to say, but it's like you're a giant family. I know I have to, I _need _to go back, but…" She swallowed deeply, now was the hard part. "My mother was diagnosed with cancer when I was 13. A year later, she died. Obviously that's a hard thing to deal with especially for a 14-year-old, and none of my friends knew how to talk to me afterwards, so I isolated myself. I was just starting to truly recover and make close friends again when, in my third semester of college, my dad was killed in a drive by shooting. I have no siblings and my grandparents had died before I was born." She shook her head, "My family's gone."

All this time she had been looking down, twiddling her fingers, shuffling her feet, but now she looked strait into Harry's eyes, even though her own were spilling over with tears.

Harry looked at her and felt her despair. He shook his head, what good would his words do. "Katie," he said. Where had that name come from? He didn't care. Without even thinking about it he pulled Kaitlyn close to him. She responded by throwing her arms around his neck and burying her face in his shirt, probably staining it, but what did he care. He held her even tighter when she started shaking.


	12. Night

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Trek or Voyager.

**Author's Note: **This isn't the last chapter or anything, but I just wanted to thank everyone who's kept this story going. I can't even say how surprised I am that I've kept writing, and I've continued to enjoy doing so. All the reviews have really helped me persist. _Doec: Thanks for your review! Lunatic Pandora1: I must admit, I've never even considered the Godzilla idea for the holodeck. Quite an amusing visual. Voyfan7: Yes, I did at first think that she should have at least a few friends, but the reason she doesn't is because she pushes them away on purpose. But, I was very happy to finally write that chapter. Mhernz: Thank you so much for your compliments concerning Janeway and Kim! Arashcuzi: ah, proofreading has always been a struggle for me. I always do re-read my work and try to correct problems, but I tend to read what should be there rather than what is there. Anywho, I tried to be a little more thorough this time. And thank you for such a detailed comment. It's that kind of specificity that I enjoy, because I suddenly understand where I excel and also where I need to improve. _Thank you, everyone. Here we go again. Smile brightly!

Chapter 12: Night

To say that the day had been emotional would have been an understatement. After her breakdown on the holodeck, Harry had a duty shift, so Kaitlyn went to help Neelix with lunch. Unfortunately her concentration was slightly lax causing her to nearly burn several dishes. Neelix said he understood and that it wasn't a problem. She believed him. She had even dropped by sickbay to deliver a list of recommended books to the doctor. He thanked her heartily. But the fact remained that this was her last night on this ship. She wondered how far she was from earth. Did space travel only encompass just outside the solar system, or was it across thousands of galaxies? She wondered if she even cared.

She stepped into the turbolift. "Deck 7," she said. She had to wonder if she would be able to sleep, though she knew she didn't want to. _Why waste the last few hours?_ She wondered. "Computer, wait, um…" she tried to think of the phrase she had heard the Captain use earlier, "Belay that." She felt the lift stop. "Holodeck 1."

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Stepping onto the holodeck, she thought of all the things she could do. She could have a nice vacation in Hawaii or see a Broadway play. She could visit a Russian winter or an Irish spring. If she had understood Harry's explanation correctly, she could even visit another era in time. She smiled as she thought of the perfect solution. "Computer, one mini grand piano, circa 1910. Black."

The instrument appeared before her, bench and all. She sat down gently and ran her fingers across a few of the keys noticing the perfect tuning. After a quick warm up, she chose an up tempo song with an encouraging melody. She had to at least try to be optimistic. She didn't know how much time had passed, but she chose song after song, playing as much as she remembered before moving on to another, listening as the music spoke.

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It was 1130 hours, and Harry Kim had just been relieved from his duty shift and gotten a near-midnight snack. He had planned on going strait to bed before realizing that he needed to make one or two final tweaks to Kaitlyn's holodeck program.

As he walked down the corridor toward the holodeck he could have sworn he heard music, and as he got closer to his destination it seemed to get louder. It was a low, almost sad melody in a minor key. One of the classics, but he was unsure of the title and composer. Now, at the entrance to the holodeck, he knew that the music was not in his mind. As the doors opened he saw Kaitlyn, her back to him, playing fervently on a beautiful piano. Her eyes were down, and she was clearly engrossed in the song. In it's harmonies and accidentals, the crisp high notes followed by mourning lows. She was connected to the story this song told (perhaps it was her own).

She was getting close to the climax of the piece when her fingers stopped and she turned toward him. "Harry," she said, "I didn't hear you come in. I'm sorry, did you need to do something." She started to get up.

"No, it's nothing that can't wait," he replied, "Just keep playing."

"I'm not a very good soloist, especially in front of an audience."

Harry smiled. "How about a duet with a partner?" he asked. In response, Kaitlyn tilted her head and looked at him, confused. "Computer," he said, "One B flat clarinet, one music stand, and sheet music from my compositions, selection 2." He placed music in front of her. "I've been working on this for a while. Little did I know that I would be able to hear it from an actual pianist."

"You wrote this?" she asked.

"Sure did."

"And you just happened to write it for piano and clarinet?"

"Of course, the clarinet part can be transposed to any instrument, but the melody sounded great with a piano accompaniment." He began arranging the music on his stand.

"I don't know whether that's creepy or oddly convenient." She replied, studying her piece.

"Hopefully the ladder," He said. She smiled up at him.

"Do you know, it's been four years since anyone's called me Katie."

"I'm sorry," Harry said, "Is that okay, I don't even know where that came from."

She smiled. "No, no. It's fine. In fact, coming from you it's, in a way, appropriate."

He looked at her. "I don't understand."

"My friend, the checkers friend, would call me that."

"Oh, well," he wasn't sure what to say, "Thanks." She smiled. "Well, ready to begin?" She nodded and paid attention as he counted off the tempo.

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The two continued to play until one of them (later they couldn't remember which of them) realized that it was nearly 0300 hours, at which point the reality of exhaustion set in, though it was not a despondent exhaustion, but rather a hopeful one.

Harry had insisted on taking Kaitlyn back to her quarters, even though Kaitlyn insisted otherwise. So now he walked beside her, observing how she took every step with a certain amount of carefulness, being sure to cherish each one. He could feel her sleepiness as it seemed to whisper in her ear, coaxing her eyelids ever lower, but she was at the same time quite awake.

Soon enough, they reached the door to her quarters. She turned around at the entrance.

"I know it's late, but do you want to come in?" she asked.

"I don't want to keep you from your sleep," Harry replied.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," she said, looking down.

Harry looked down at her. She was small but not helpless. Ignorant technologically, but not in the least unable to learn. Kind, but not naïve. Truth be told, she fit in quite nicely among the Voyager crew. She had a spirit of adventure and exploration in her own unique way. Instead of exploring the galaxy, for the past few days she explored the replicator, turbolifts, and other technologies with little fear. Harry knew he would miss that, miss her.

Harry smiled at her. "Goodnight," he said.

"Night," she replied quietly.

He started to walk down the corridor.

"Wait, Harry," Kaitlyn said.

"What is it? Is there something you need?" He walked back to her doorway.

"I may not get a chance to say this later, so I'll say it now." She smiled up at him. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me, not just with getting food and finding my way around, but things like sitting with me at lunch and listening to me cry and, of course, playing duets with me until the ungodly hours of the night. Even though it was short lived, I've really loved our time together."

Harry smiled, knowing that her time on the ship really had been short, knowing her time remaining was growing smaller every second. "I have, too, and," he paused, "I'll miss you."

She nodded, and looked back up at him. "Me too."

"Goodnight, Katie."

She smiled. "Night."


	13. Step

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Trek or Voyager.

**Author's Note: **I am extremely sorry that my chapters seem to be coming less and less frequently. But I've made it once again. _Arashcuzi: ah, yes, it was a voyager tradition to ALWAYS give Harry Kim the short end of the stick. Lol. It's funny, but somehow unsatisfying sometimes. Who knows about this case? I will admit to considering both alternatives, but only I know for sure which I chose. Mm, I love keeping people wonders. Thanks once again for your compliments! Lunatic Pandora1: Who can't feel sorry for Harry. He's so young, and yet all this crap happens to him. Ah well, I guess they had to do it to someone. KnowInsight: Thanks so much for reading! Voyfan7: Yeah, I did seriously think about having Harry come in, but for some reason it seemed more satisfying to just end the chapter there. And I probably should have had her interact more with Tom. The (somewhat embarrassing) reason I didn't, is because I'm not quite as good at understanding and writing Tom. But anywho, thanks for the comment. _Ooooookay. Here we are, chapter thirteen. There are one or two things in this chapter that refer back to a previous chapter or another episode from the series. Hopefully, they'll be understood, but just ask me if you feel completely in the dark. Bye byes.

Chapter 13: Step

It was 0930 hours when Kaitlyn walked into the Captain's waiting room. Today she knew she would go back to her normal life and normal time and she dreaded it. What's more, she was even wearing evidence of it in her jeans and 21st century top.

"Kaitlyn," the Captain began, "How are you feeling?"

Kaitlyn smiled, remembering the late night piano playing on the holodeck. "I'm doing well," she replied.

"Good," Janeway nodded, "I wanted to make sure you understood what was happening today well enough to be at ease about it."

"Yes, Ma'am," she responded, "Of course, I don't understand all of the technical aspects, but all I have to do is take a walk."

Janeway smiled, "Good, be at holodeck 1 at 1030 hours. You're dismissed." Janeway looked back at a PADD she had been going over, but a moment later realized that Kaitlyn had not left. She looked up. "Is there something you need?" she asked.

Kaitlyn knew she shouldn't say anything, and knew that even if she did, it would be a long shot, yet everything inside of her beckoned for her to take this chance. "May I ask you a favor, Captain?"

"Of course," Janeway said, motioning her to sit.

As she got situated in her chair, Kaitlyn began. "I know that I have no right to ask for this, and I know that it's probably quite impossible considering regulations, but…" she paused, for the first time on this ship feeling small, "If there is any way that I could stay here, I would like to."

Janeway looked at her desk for a moment and put down her PADD. She knew that this day would be difficult for Kaitlyn, especially considering her family situation (or lack thereof), and truth be told, Janeway would have been thrilled to say _yes_. The Kathryn inside of her would have told her to stay without reservation. The Captain inside of her recited regulation after regulation concerning temporal displacement and the seriousness of sticking to policy. Occasionally, the Captain and Kathryn would be in agreement, but too often the two would fight a battle within her, waiting for her decision, and too often for Kathryn's liking, the Captain rightfully won. This was the case once again.

She looked back up at Kaitlyn. "I'm sorry. The regulations are very specific, and as much as I would like to grant your request, I simply can't." Kaitlyn nodded. Even though Janeway had given her a perfectly reasonable and understandable explanation, it was still discouraging. "Kaitlyn," Janeway began again, "I was keeping this from you before, but I see no reason to now. Even if you were able to stay here, we are extremely far away from earth. It is going to take what quite literally could be a lifetime to get back."

Kaitlyn thought for a moment, considering all the emotions that would go along with being separated from everything she knew. "Actually, I'm not sure it would matter much to me," she said, "I've already lost my family." She paused and looked at the Captain. "It must have been hard for you to lose your families and your home at the same time. I can't imagine…"

Janeway nodded, "It has been hard on all of us."

Kaitlyn hesitated but said, "I don't guess it's my place to give someone I hardly know advice about something I barely know about in a time I don't even understand. But I can feel it everywhere. There's a family here, forged through necessity and bound by pain perhaps, but a family nonetheless. I know this can't replace what you've lost, but maybe it can emotionally make up for it, even just a little." She smiled and shook her head. "You probably already know that."

Janeway smiled, "it's good to have a fresh perspective." She paused, was this girl really so young and from so far away? Twenty-two and 2012. Those numbers didn't mean as much today. She continued, "I am sorry that I can't allow you to stay."

Kaitlyn nodded, "I understand. Thank you for listening."

"It's my pleasure."

Kaitlyn rose and began walking through the doorway, but turned around. "Honestly, thank you for _everything_." She smiled once more, and left.

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She was astonished when she saw a group gathered in the holodeck to see her off. Kaitlyn had imagined that Harry would be there, and probably the Captain too, but there were so many people there just to say goodbye.

Tom Paris. Now there was a guy who knew how to lighten a heavy situation. His was a singular wit, even when he didn't intend it. She smiled at him. "Elvis Presley my foot." They both laughed and hugged.

She hadn't gotten to know B'elanna Torres very well, but she remembered serving her breakfast one morning. She had smiled at the pancakes on her plate, thanked Kaitlyn, and taken a banana from the fruit basked.

When she saw Kes, neither of them said a word. They simply smiled and embraced.

Next was Neelix. "We're going to miss your cooking," he said.

"Almost as much as I'll miss yours," Kaitlyn replied. The whole grouped chuckled at that.

The Doctor smiled. "I wanted to thank you again for you literature suggestions."

"You're more than welcome," said Kaitlyn. They hugged as well.

Harry Kim, probably the member of the crew who she had grown most attached to. "I guess you'll have to learn checkers some other time."

Harry nodded. "I'll miss you."

She smiled. "I'll miss you." As they hugged, she felt tears building up, but she held them back. There was no way she would let her vision grow misty now.

"Captain," she began. "Have a speedy journey."

"Thank you," Janeway replied.

Now, having said her goodbyes, Kaitlyn stood in front of them on what would soon be a _real _city street, busy with people. "I'm lowering the first containment field," Torres announced. Kaitlyn walked back towards the blue light. "Raising the first," She said again as the force field came into place. "And lowering the second." Now there was nothing between Kaitlyn and the past. Even now she would have run back to the family standing before her and promised to never let go, but necessity demanded otherwise.

"Goodbye," she nearly whispered. She smiled, and in a single step walked out of their lives.


	14. It Becomes Part of Who We Are

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Trek or Voyager.

**Author's Note: **So, a few of you thought that chapter 13 was the last one in my story. Well, I am happy to announce that there is still a bit more left. _Missamy831: I don't have much to say, except that I'm glad you expected another chapter. Arashcuzi: Thank you once again for your compliments, and thanks for your suggestions on Janeway. If/when I go back and tweak this story, I'll definitely take that into consideration. And on a final note, your suggestion for an ending was extremely creative. I was really surprised. I tend to mess up all the technical aspects of stories. Voyfan7: Haha, I found your comment hilarious. Is it bad that I don't remember the murdering hologram very well? Colorfree: Thank you so much for your compliments. I am hoping to start writing original stories soon, by the way. _Okay. Here comes the next chapter… I'd say more but… I'm tired. Goes to sleep.

Chapter 14: It Becomes Part of Who We Are

That was it. She was gone. "Let's get back to work," Janeway said after a moment. She turned to speak to B'elanna. "How long will the fissure stay open?"

"Probably another hour, maybe two, but it can't be seen it or passed through from the other side."

"You're sure?" Janeway asked, "I don't want a repeat."

"Positive," Torres replied, "They might see it if it surges before closing, but I'll stay here and contain it."

"Good."

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The simulation had been so accurate that Kaitlyn barely realized it when she stepped back into the 21st century. But soon she recognized faces and footsteps in the lively crowd. She looked around to make sure no one had seen her surprise appearance. With any luck the entrance had flowed well with the exit, and no one would hardly know the difference.

But she knew the difference. She had just walked into a time when those she had just spoken with hadn't even been born yet. They wouldn't be born for over 300 years.

Her head hurt, and she wanted desperately to cry, but not here. Not in the middle of the street for all to see. She checked for cars and crossed the street. Now seemed like as good a time as any for an iced mocha from Frosty Muggs.

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Harry sat in the mess hall. _It's that simple, I guess. One step and you lose a friend. _He grabbed his fork and picked at the casserole on his plate. It really did surprise him how attached he felt to Kaitlyn after less than a week. He kept thinking of all the things they could have done together. He wondered what her expression would have been like when she learned how much of the galaxy had been explored, and yet how much was still unknown. He wondered what she was doing now, but she would have already done it 350 years ago.

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She sat in the coffee shop, her back to the door, sipping her cold brew from a straw and at the same time suppressing tears. She had to get past whatever feelings of loss she experienced. After all, she didn't really lose anyone. In her mind, losing someone implied death. They would come into the world just as she had twenty-two years ago.

_Get your mind on something else_,she thought. She still had two exams to go before graduation. She pulled out her notebook and began to study, but somehow, 20th century British literature seemed far away.

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Tom sat down across from Harry. "I'm still not sure what lunch is, but does it taste good?" he asked.

"Delicious," Harry answered, absentmindedly.

Tom was about to sink his fork into the whatever-it-was, but hesitated at Harry's listless answer. "And your date with Jenny Delaney, how did that go?"

"Good," Harry answered again.

"I hear she sent her sister as a decoy."

"Mhmm."

Tom rolled his eyes. "Harry!"

Harry started. "I'm sorry. What was the question?"

Tom sighed. "I know it's hard. Getting to know some one and then almost immediately losing them, but that's how it is in Starfleet, especially when you're on the other side of the galaxy. So, let's just move on."

Harry tried to smile, but the insincerity of it kept him from continuing the attempt. Tom looked at his friend and understood.

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There were so many people outside, so many people that were concerned with their lives, unaware that this average girl had just experienced an extraordinary week. It felt unfair that they would keep living their lives as usual after what she had done.

But that was a selfish thought. In the long run, all that she had been though was insignificant.

_Keep it all in perspective_,she thought, _I'll move on. Live my life as I would have. I'll get married, have kids and a career. That's what I'll do. I'll become something. I'll be someone they would be proud of. _

_Or maybe I'll just be a normal sort of somebody. The sort that isn't written about in history books. The sort that people forget about. The sort that has memories that won't really mean much. _

_Or maybe that's the sadness talking. _

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"She was the sort of person that tried to mean something to everyone she met," Neelix observed. He had just joined Harry and Tom, and had immediately understood their grief. "But not in a selfish way."

"Almost as if she wanted to make sure you weren't going to have a bad day as long as she could help it," Harry observed.

"I don't think she did it on purpose though," said Tom.

"It wasn't always in what she said or did either," Neelix said, "I can't exactly explain it."

"It was just part of her, part of who she was," said Harry.

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It _was_ just the sadness talking. She shouldn't decide that her life would be useless based on one technically nonexistent almost-week of her life. She would finish school, get a job, and maybe even write a book or two if she was lucky. In reality, the past few days had been a miracle. She got to experience something that should normally be impossible. She had the memories. She had all those moments.

But that's what she missed. She missed those moments, and she missed those people that made those moments mean something. She missed their joy and their honesty. She missed that family.

A tear hit the page she had been studying. She looked down at it and tenderly wiped it away. Then she laughed as she realized it was hers.

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Tuvok had decided to take the few minutes between lunch and his next duty shift to straiten up his quarters. He had gone through PADD after PADD concerning time travel and chronaton particles to analyze any potential security risks. Now that the whole ordeal was over, the PADDs could be organized and removed.

He grabbed a group of three and began scrolling through the first one. It would be unfortunate to have an important file mixed up in the miscellaneous. The first one checked out, so he promptly moved to the second. That one was equally insignificant. But as he scrolled through the third, something caught his eye. He paused and studied the image before him.

He quickly lifted his head and tapped his combadge. "Lieutenant Tuvok to Captain Janeway."

_Yes, Tuvok. What is it?_

"I need to speak with you immediately. It is quite urgent."


	15. Wyrd

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Trek or Voyager.

**Author's Note: **Here comes the next chapter, but before I discuss the chapter, I'll reply to reviews. _Brandie Thomas: Ah, cliffhangers are such wonderful things. We hate them, and yet they keep our imaginations alive. Thanks for you comments. Missamy831: my previous comments to Brandie Thomas apply to you as well. Lol. And sorry about the little formatting difficulty. I usually fix that before I publish, but became rushed and forgot. It's been corrected now. Lunatic Pandora1: Haha, I'm not sure I completely understood your comment, but it did make me laugh. DustBunnyQueen: Thank you so much for your compliments on my story. It means a lot to me. And I'm holding you to the chocolate thing! (jk) Arashcuzi: I don't believe I could ever get sick of receiving feedback. Though, I must admit, I am slightly baffled as to what grammatical mistakes I'm still making. Perhaps you could point out a few specifically in this chapter so that I could see any consistent mistakes I am making? Also, thanks for your compliments of course. Voyfan7: Luckily you didn't catch chapter 14 when it was first posted, so I suppose it does seem that I am updating immediately. Anywho, thank you for your enthusiasm. _All right, I have to go ahead and admit some uneasiness about this chapter. I am very satisfied at the result, but I'm not sure how much you will enjoy how I got there… I guess that doesn't make sense right now. Well, just so you know, I am considering revising the story some time in the future, keeping your comments in mind. Lastly, I think it is important to explain this title. _Wyrd _is an old English word for _fate_. Makes you think?

Chapter 15: Wyrd

"Tuvok, you said it was urgent?" Captain Janeway said as soon as the security chief entered her ready room.

"It is," He replied, very quickly walking to her desk and handing her the PADD.

She looked at it closely, and Tuvok watched as her eyes grew large. She glanced back up at him. "Kaitlyn?" she asked.

"Yes, and Ensign Kim."

"A paradox?"

"I believe so."

Janeway tapped her combadge. "Lieutenant Torres."

_Yes, Captain? _She responded.

"How long before the fissure closes?" she asked.

_I'd say less than 20 minutes._

Janeway looked at Tuvok. "We don't have much time."

_Captain?_

"B'elanna, do whatever you can to keep that fissure open. Don't let it close yet."

_Yes, ma'am._

Janeway rose from her desk and tapped her combadge again. "Ensign Kim."

_Yes, Captain?_

"I need you to meet me outside of holodeck 1 immediately."

_Yes, ma'am. Is there something wrong?_

"Just hurry. Janeway out."

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"Look at this," Janeway said, handing the PADD to Harry. The three had gathered outside the holodeck and Janeway was trying to bring Harry up to speed as quickly as possible.

"Is that Kaitlyn and," Harry paused, "me?"

"Yes," Janeway answered.

Harry eyed the picture again. "Where did this come from? I thought we searched for Kaitlyn's name in the database."

Tuvok spoke up. "This picture did not show up in my initial search for Miss McClain because I only consulted historical texts. However, when I learned that we would be opening a time-space fissure on board the ship, I consulted various scientific texts on the matter to establish any potential risks."

"But why didn't you see this earlier?"

"Some files were more useful than others. This file was somewhat obscure. I most likely read it to exhaustion, and moved on to another."

Harry looked up at the Captain, then at the PADD, then back at the Captain again. "What do I have to do?"

"You have to go get her," Janeway replied. Harry looked surprised. "The fissure is still open."

Harry nodded. "Yes, ma'am."

The three passed through the doorway and noticed Kaitlyn's holodeck program still running. "Is the fissure stable, Lieutenant?"

"For now," Torres answered. "Is someone going through it?"

"Look," Harry said, handing her the PADD.

She examined it and then looked back up, "I see."

"B'elanna," Janeway said, "you said that if the fissure surges before is closes, then people could pass through it on the other side."

"That's right."

"Can you make sure that happens?"

B'elanna thought for a moment. "I can do it, but the fissure only has about 15 minutes before it destabilizes. That's all the time I can give you."

"Hopefully that's all we'll need."

The holodeck doors opened abruptly, and in stepped Tom Paris with a pair of jeans and a yellow polo shirt in his hands. "Someone ordered period clothing, circa 2012?"

"I guess that would be mine," Harry said.

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Harry promptly changed in one of the nearby holographic stores and now stood in front of the blue fissure, having already gone through the containment field procedures.

"Alright, Harry," B'elanna began, "You're only going to have a little over 10 minutes to find her. When the fissure begins to destabilize it will surge and become visible. That is your only chance to get back through. There won't be enough residual chronaton particles to open another one."

"So if I can't find her I'm stuck?" He asked.

"That's the idea."

Harry nodded. "Understood."

"Good luck," Captain Janeway said. And with that, Harry stepped through the light and into the past.

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The single step between the holodeck and 2012 had been a drastic change. It took Harry a moment to adjust. He looked around himself to see if anyone had seen his entrance and became slightly worried when he noticed a man across the street staring. Harry looked around himself to feign ignorance and felt relieved when the man shook his head and kept walking.

Harry looked around. The simulation of the block was almost exactly like the real thing; surprisingly accurate really. Clearly Kaitlyn had a photographic memory. But that wasn't the important thing right now. He had to figure out where she had gone. It had been nearly an hour since she had passed through and she could be anywhere now, even outside of the part of the city he vaguely knew. He shook his head and tried to think. Did she leave a clue? What had she said?

_Street corner._

_Venezuelan blend._

_Coffee shop._

_Frosty Muggs._

And then she'd giggled. She had giggled when she talked about Frosty Muggs. He remembered the Italian restaurant and then shoe store, but Frosty Muggs had been important to her, so that was where he would go.

He understood enough to know not to cross the street diagonally, but he was at a slight loss as to the rest. Maybe the Captain should have sent Tom. He noticed a group of people waiting to cross, so he joined them and waited and waited, until traffic stopped and the whole group crossed. He had a similar experience on the next corner but thankfully didn't have to wait as long. He finally reached Frosty Muggs.


	16. Taking Me Home

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Star Trek or Voyager.

**Author's Note: **Sorry that this has taken so long. School takes over my life. I hope no one has forgotten what has gone on. If you have, I encourage you to read chapter 15 again, since this one may get a tad bit confusing if you have no idea what's going on. Anyways, for reviews… _voyfan7: Thanks so much for your enthusiasm on this story. It's really been an encouragement to me. Lunatic Pandora1: I'm sorry you didn't understand. Maybe this chapter will clear it up. Arashcuzi: I'm glad that chapter 15 didn't have any mistakes in it. Maybe I was focusing on grammar more than usual. But thanks for pointing out those mistakes. (Though I could have sworn I had fixed one of them... oh well). Time travel has always interested me, so it was an easy subject for me to write about. _Anyways, this is going to be the last chapter of this story. I'm so thankful for all of the reviewers I've had, and I would like to say that you're probably what has kept this story going. I'm probably going to create another chapter section just to post one last author's note. In any case, here is the last chapter of my first completed fan fiction: Taking Me Home.

Chapter 16: Taking Me Home

Kaitlyn had digressed from being semi-composed to full blown tears, but not sobbing, red-faced tears. Each tear quietly hit the page and lingered. The penciled words were blurring and smudging from the moisture.

She shook her head. She had to collect herself. Pushing her notebook aside, she grabbed a napkin from the silver dispenser. She dabbed at the tears to remove them and then blinked a few times to focus her eyes. _Maybe I need another one, _She thought. But as she reached for it, she noticed a reflection in the dispenser. She knew that face, that form. But she couldn't, shouldn't be seeing that. _Could I? _She turned her face to the door.

"Harry!" she almost screamed.

He quickly faced her and smiled sincerely. "I found you!" he said, but almost before he could get the sentence out he was enclosed in a tight hug, her arms around his neck. She was laughing again.

"Wait," she said, releasing his neck, "Why are you here?"

He took her arm and pulled her to an obscure corner of the coffee shop. He spoke quieter, "try not to draw attention."

"Fine," she said, still astounded, yet not outrageously loud, "but what's going on?"

"You have to come back with me," he paused, "come forward, actually."

"What?"

"We found a picture in an obscure scientific database of you and me going back through the fissure." Harry explained, "It said underneath that you were never seen or heard from again."

"You mean, I'm supposed to be…"

"Yes, on Voyager."

She stared at him, "Are you kidding me?"

"Do you really think I would come 350 years into the past to _kid_ you?" he asked.

"Well, no, but… I mean," she paused, "I'm really supposed to go with you."

"Yes, right now. There are only a few minutes left before the fissure closes. We have to hurry."

"Wait, wait. Just, let me think through this for a second." She sat in a chair and stared at her hands with wide eyes.

"You don't want to go?" Harry grabbed a chair from a close table and sat down.

"I do, I just." She shook her head. "I feel so ridiculous now. Three hours ago I would have jumped at the chance to stay on Voyager. Now, I'm afraid. I shouldn't be afraid or doubtful." She laughed nervously, "What's wrong with me?"

Harry thought for a moment. "You're afraid of the unknown." She looked up at him. "You're afraid of the change. When you jumped into the 24th century the first time, you didn't have a choice. You didn't have time to think of the possibilities."

She started to shake from anxiety, "I can't do this."

"Yes, you can." Harry stood up and pulled her up with him. "Do you remember the first time you used the replicator?"

"How can I forget? I was scared to death something was going to blow up."

"Exactly. But you did it anyway. You have done things and dealt with technologies that most people in your time can't imagine. It surprised me when I saw you doing so well. And do you know what I thought?" Kaitlyn shook her head. "I thought, _she's an explorer_. That's what Voyager's about: exploration."

"Yeah?" Kaitlyn said shakily, her lips breaking into a timid smile.

"Yes." Harry nodded. "You're afraid of taking that step into the future, but it's really _your _future that you'll be stepping into."

Kaitlyn took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. Maybe she was afraid, but she couldn't let that stand in the way of her future or of that family she had already learned to love. She couldn't let fear keep her from becoming who she was meant to be. She looked back up at Harry. "Let's go."

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The streets were horribly busy, so as Kaitlyn continued to wait on the sidewalk, she became increasingly impatient. She pushed the crossing button again and waited for the flashing hand to change into a sign to walk, but it wasn't working. "Come on," she said, as people gathered around her and Harry. For the past week she had had all the time in the world, and now everything came down to a few short minutes.

"Does it always take this long?" Harry asked.

"I don't know," Kaitlyn replied, her mind racing and her hands trying to signal the light to somehow change more quickly. Looking across the street, she noticed that the traffic light had finally turned red. Ready to go, she looked back at the crosswalk signal, but it was still commanding her to stay put. _Crap, the turning lane, _she thought.

"Katie, look," she heard Harry say. He was pointing to where the fissure should be, and sure enough, tiny blue tendrils of light were beginning to appear.

"You have _got _to be kidding me," Kaitlyn said, exasperated. She began tapping her foot and checked the street again.

"We have less than a minute left," Harry said.

The light still hadn't changed. "Forget this," Kaitlyn said. "Ready?" But she wasn't really asking. Without another thought, she grabbed Harry's hand and made a run for it. When she reached the line of turning vehicles she simply jumped in front of them and kept moving, causing most of them to slam on their breaks and the nearest one to swerve to prevent a collision.

They reached the next corner and Kaitlyn paused to catch her breath and assess the situation. Harry came around and stood on her right, also short of breath, and began pushing the crossing button over and over. "No time," Kaitlyn said. She tugged on his arm and stepped in front of traffic again. Cars slammed on their breaks and swerved and drivers laid on their horns. One man began screaming out of his window. So much for not drawing attention.

They made it to the other side. Harry looked towards the fissure and noticed how bright it was becoming, but Kaitlyn noticed the policeman running from the other direction. Yet another thing that the pair didn't have time for, and what's more, they were drawing a crowd. The fissure wasn't far, but there would be danger if they didn't hurry. So, without another word, they began running again. They were less than five yards away when Kaitlyn's clumsy side caught up with her. Her shoe caught against the pavement and she tumbled to the ground. "Harry!" she yelled forward. He promptly turned and sprinted back to her. She got up and looked back to notice the policeman rushing towards them, insisting for them to stop. Harry grabbed her hand and lifted her to her feet. The fissure was almost there, the future. In the last moment, Kaitlyn looked across the street and noticed a single camera in someone's hand capturing the moment. She smiled for an instant before being engulfed in a blinding blue light.

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"How much longer do they have?" Captain Janeway asked Torres.

"Twelve seconds," B'elanna replied. She began counting down. "Ten, nine, eight, seven…"

"Come on, Harry," Janeway whispered.

"Five, four three, two…"

And in that second, in what was quite literally the blink of an eye, Harry Kim and Kaitlyn McClain tumbled out of the bright blue fissure and onto the holodeck floor. They weren't moving.

"The fissure has closed, Captain," B'elanna announced.

"Lower the containment fields, Lieutenant," Janeway replied.

"Aye, Captain."

As Torres lowered the fields, Janeway noticed Harry start to lift himself into a sitting position. He noticed Kaitlyn lying on her side beside him and rolled her onto her back. He put his hand on her face. "Katie," he said, "Katie?" Her eyes opened a bit and she looked up at him.

"We made it?" She asked quietly.

"We made it," Harry answered. She blinked a couple time and then began smiling and then laughing. He laughed too and tried to help her sit up, but she hugged him around the neck instead.

By this time the Captain, Torres, Tom, and Tuvok had made their way over. Harry stood up and helped Kaitlyn stand as well.

"Captain," she said, nodding and smiling.

Janeway smiled. "Welcome to our family, Kaitlyn, and welcome home."


	17. Final Author's Note

Final Author's Note: For the last time on this story, I want to thank everyone who has encouraged me or in any way been an influence on this story. Some final thanks on reviews: _Omen Overlord: Thank you so much for such a positive review. I deeply appreciate it. __Arashcuzi__: You've stuck with this story for such a long __time,__ and I really want to thank you for all of your reviews and suggestions. You said that you were inches from tears, and that truly is a great compliment for me. Voyfan7: All of your comments have been very encouraging to me. Thank you once again. __Doec__: Thank you for your comments and compliments. _Well, I don't know what else to say really, except thanks to all of you.

In the future, I may decide to write a sequel for this story if I get the time and inspiration. If that time comes, I'll try to remember to post an extra chapter on this story to inform you.

Once again, I can't thank you enough for your support. I can honestly say that without it, the story would have never been finished. Goodbye for now.

Until I write again,

E. G. Abernathy


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